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Consultants

Answer

The Department fully supports the joint Management Consultancies Association (MCA), Institute of Management Consultancy (IMC) and Office of Government Commerce (OGC) statement of best practice document ““Delivering world-class consultancy services to the public sector””. This document emphasises the working relationships that the public sector client and consultant will seek to achieve in the development and execution of a consultancy contract.The Department's standard Invitation to Tender (ITT) document requires potential consultants to provide documentary evidence of their proposed expenses, with which the Department must be satisfied prior to entering into contract. The Department's contract documentation stipulates that only travelling and other expenses that are properly and necessarily incurred in providing the services will be reimbursed.I have asked the Department's Executive Agencies to respond directly to the hon. Member.Letter from Desmond Flynn, dated 6 December 2005:"The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply to you directly on behalf of The Insolvency Service in respect of your question (1813/2005) asking what steps the Department takes to ensure that consultancies do not claim excessive expenses whilst working for the Department and its agencies.""The Insolvency Service only allows for ‘reasonable' expenses. Expenses submitted by consultants should generally be in line with amounts that we would pay our own staff in terms of travel and subsistence."Letter from Claire Clancy, dated 6 December 2005:"I am responding to your recently tabled Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on behalf of Companies House, which is an Executive Agency of the DTI.""When placing any contracts Companies House would include within the overall contract value details of allowable expenses. These would therefore be subject to the same value for money evaluation that is applied to the agreed daily rates."Letter from Dr. Jeff Llewellyn, dated 6 December 2005:"The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML) to your question regarding what steps the Department takes to ensure that consultancies do not claim excessive expenses whilst working for the Department and its Agencies.""NWML agrees fee rates, including expense rates, with consultants prior to commissioning work. All claims for payment, including expense claims, are checked for accuracy and reasonableness prior to payment."Letter from Jeanne Spinks, dated 6 December 2005:"House of Commons Parliamentary Question 2005/1813""You asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps the Department takes to ensure that consultancies do not claim excessive expenses whilst working for the Department and its agencies.""The Employment Tribunals Service policy is that wherever possible consultancy services are provided through the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) approved ““Catalist”” arrangements. All the Service Providers under these arrangements are committed to a standard travel and subsistence policy, based on either OGC buying solutions rates for its public servants, or the individual customers rates."Letter from Ron Marchant, dated 6 December 2005:"House of Commons Parliamentary Question: 2005/1813""I am responding to this parliamentary question, tabled on 14 November 2005, regarding What steps the Department of Trade and Industry takes to ensure that consultancies do not claim excessive expenses whilst working for the Department and its agencies.""All contracts issued to consultancies by the Patent Office have a clause in them specifying that reasonable or civil service level expenses only may be claimed. Any invoices submitted are checked by the contract manager and any claims considered to be excessive are disallowed."

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

440 c1140-1W;440 c1140-1W; 29058

Session

2005-06

Subjects

Contracts Costs Executive agencies Allowances Consultants Department for Transport Government departments

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk